1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automated chemical testing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus utilizing combined continuous and discrete flow portions to conduct an assay of a sample.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention provides an automated chemical testing apparatus which utilizes the combination of both continuous and discrete flow of the sample and reagents to perform the assay procedure. In the prior art, there is disclosed a number of automated testing apparatus which utilize continuous flow throughout the system. As will be shown and described herein, the combination of continuous and discrete flow portions is advantageous in several respects. Examples of the continuous flow testing devices of the prior art are those marketed by the Technicon Instruments Corporation, Tarrytown, New York; Nova Biomedical, 1238 Chestnut Street, Newton, Mass.; and the Squibb company.